Smartphone Addiction Is Rampant in Gen Y

Smartphone Addiction Is Rampant in Gen Y

Wake-Up Drill Nine out of 10 Gen Yers check their smartphones as part of their morning routines—often before getting out of bed.

For Generation Y, the smartphone might as well be considered a physical appendage. That's because—other than when these individuals are asleep—there seems to be little or no time when they're not connecting to these devices, according to a recent survey from Cisco. The resulting report, the "2012 Cisco Connected World Technology Report," reveals that Gen Yers throughout the world are tapping on their smartphones from the first thing in the morning to the end of the evening. No physical space is considered off-limits either, not even the bathroom. On the positive side, this level of connectivity makes them more accountable at work. On the negative, a majority of survey respondents admit that they wish they didn't feel so tethered to technology. "There are 206 bones in the human body," according to the report, "and the smartphone should be considered the 207th bone for Generation Y." A total of 1,800 Gen Y students and professionals in 18 countries took part in the research.